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Weeks (Charles) Collection
URB.CW
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Charles Weeks Collection
Creator:
Weeks, Charles, 1873-1964
Identifier/Call Number: URB.CW
Extent:
0.42 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1923-1982
Abstract: In 1909 Charles Weeks pioneered what
was then a new method of raising poultry, by concentrating birds into coops. In 1923 he
established a small farming community in Owensmouth known as the Weeks Poultry Colony. This
collection is comprised of various publications which document the activities and lifestyle
of Charles Weeks and the farming community he helped create in the San Fernando
Valley.
Language of Material: English
Charles Weeks was a visionary in the world of poultry and communal farming. Born on an
Indiana farm in 1873, Mr. Weeks grew up with a thorough understanding of farming and farm
life. In 1904, Mr. Weeks moved to Los Altos, California with a plan to raise poultry on a
ten-acre farm he had purchased there. Unfortunately, due to inadequate water supply, Mr.
Weeks' Los Altos farm was doomed to failure. In 1909, Mr. Weeks moved to a five-acre farm on
the outskirts of Palo Alto, California. It was here that he established new methods of
raising poultry, concentrating birds into coops. Previous to this time, it was a commonly
accepted farming practice to raise chickens in large, space consuming, chicken runs. The
"Weeks Poultry Method" of raising poultry in compact houses became so successful that
visitors from all over the world began arriving at Mr. Weeks' farm to study and learn his
method. William E. Smythe, a socialist utopian, promoted his vision of independently-owned
farming communities after visiting. Weeks in turn adopted these ideals and established his
own version of a utopian farming community.
In 1916, Mr. Weeks established the "Weeks Poultry Colony," also known as Runnymead, on
land near his Palo Alto farm. With a heavily promoted motto of "one acre and independence,"
Mr. Week's experimental utopian community grew quickly, housing 400 families by 1922. Adding
to the success of the colony was his monthly magazine publication called
Intensive Little Farm which attracted new buyers to the area and
kept the area thriving for years, peaking at over 1,000 citizens by the mid-1920s.
In 1923, Weeks moved out of Northern California and engaged himself in actively promoting
a new colony in Owensmouth. He had been invited to the San Fernando Valley by the Los
Angeles Chamber of Commerce in 1920 to establish a series of one-acre farms in the area that
would emulate the success of his Los Altos "poultry colony." The colony Mr. Weeks created
eventually developed into a small farming community, which actively engaged in uplifting the
spirit of its members, and aided in the social, intellectual and artistic enlightenment of
the region.
Unfortunately, the Great Depression and the dramatic downturn of the Los Angeles economy
drastically affected both the Owensmouth and Runnymead communities. By 1932, many of the
farms faced bankruptcy and Mr. Weeks himself lost almost everything. With the failure of the
poultry colonies, Mr. Weeks relocated to Florida, where he lived out the remainder of his
life growing papayas, raising fishing worms and skin diving. Charles Weeks died in Florida
in 1964 but the impact of his communal experiment can still be seen in some areas of both
Palo Alto and Winnetka.
The
Charles Weeks Collection is comprised of various
publications which document the activities and lifestyle of Charles Weeks and the farming
community he helped create in the San Fernando Valley. While the earlier publications trace
the beginnings of the Weeks Poultry Colony and Weeks' fondness for nature, the later
published materials (particularly newspaper clippings) stress his allegiance to health and
fitness. Also highlighted in these publications are the histories of Owensmouth and
Winnetka, California as they developed under the influences of the Weeks family farming
plan. The files are arranged in alphabetical order by title and chronologically within.
Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as
a part of the
San Fernando Valley History Digital Library
.
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Carolyn L. Ryan, 10/1980
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Robert G. Marshall, November 1985
Jennifer M. Grimsley, October 2004
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents